4
28
A Prosthetic Arm: An Arm Controlled via Signs Sent From Muscles
The idea for the
project came
from Sajdyeh’s
own need for
a relatively-
inexpensive
prosthetic arm
after a bomb left
by Israeli soldiers
in Qalandiya
amputated his
right hand in
November 2014
Al Ghadeer - Fall 2018
A team of Birzeit University
engineering students recently
won the Gold Award at the 10 th
International Invention of Exhibitions
and the 3 rd World Invention and
Innovation Forum (IEI & WIIF 2018),
held in Foshan, China, for their
invention of a prosthetic arm.
The team, made up of Ahmad Al-
Bisher, Ahmad Sajdyeh, Mahmoud
Ashour, and Nasir Dalash and
supervised by Professor of Mechanical
Engineering Sameh Abu Awad,
created an artificial arm that can
be controlled via signals sent from
the muscles, allowing amputees or
people with disabilities to manipulate
everyday items with ease.
The idea for the project came from
Sajdyeh’s own need for a relatively-
inexpensive prosthetic arm after
a bomb left by Israeli soldiers in
Qalandiya severed his right hand in
November 2014.
Sajdyeh contacted several
international prosthetics companies
in hopes of regaining mobility and
dexterity, but the solutions they
offered were extremely expensive. He
also approached Palestinian charities
and associations that help amputees
travel abroad for prosthetic implants,
but they also couldn’t help him.
Despite the odds stacked against him,
Sajdyeh didn’t lose hope and decided
to create a prosthetic arm himself
with the help of his colleagues.
Sponsored by the China Association
of Inventors and the International
Federation of Inventors’ Association,
the International Invention of
Exhibitions and the World Invention
and Innovation Forum present
the world’s latest inventions,
achievements, and services. The
events include a professional
committee of judges who appraise
the inventions and grant Gold, Silver,
Bronze, and Special awards.
5
Modern Technology Meets Traditional Agriculture:
The Automatic Tray Seeding Machine
A team of engineering students
designed and built a machine that
mixes soil with perlite to produce
potting mix, fills it into pre-fabricated
seed trays, inserts the seeds, and
packages the trays neatly for shipping
– all automatically at the push of a
button.
The project team- Tariq Shawahni,
Osama Al-Baransi, Rand Musaffer,
Malik Nawabeet, Mohammad
Kawazbi, Ameen Allan, and Yousef
Al Shayeb- were recognized with
numerous local and international
awards.
“We created a machine that rivaled
$100,000 Italian tray seeding machines
out of parts that were available
locally,” explained Shawahni.
“Because of the shortage of materials,
we had to improvise. For example, we
fabricated the vacuum that takes the
seeds from the container and deposits
them in the seed trays ourselves. We
precisely machined the outer layer out
of aluminum and the inner layer out
of plastic in such a fashion that the
space between them is measured in
micrometers.”
Every single part of the machine,
apart from the servomotors and the
programming of the control systems,
was created and installed by the
team. This included the blades that
mix the soil- (which were actually steel
rods that the team bent into shape),
the pressing rolls, fabricated out of
plastic, instead of the more expensive
3D-printed alternative, and the
conveyor belt, the original of which
kept snapping the steel rods used to
install it into place.
“The project is sustainable and has
the potential to help the Palestinian
agricultural sector immensely by
innovatively integrating information
technology into agricultural
production,” noted Ali. “It will
economically enable many farmers
in an otherwise largely impoverished
sector.”
The team members are considering a
number of options for producing and
marketing the machine. One option
could be leasing it, which would allow
a farmer to rent the machine for a
pre-defined amount of time. The
team also considered creating a full
production line of machines. That,
noted Allan, could be expanded for
export to the Middle Eastern and
North African markets.
Birzeit University
29